THE ATENEO Blue Eagles stole a gutsy victory on the road against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 69-63, for their latest win in the 2025 Asiabasket College Campus Tour. The match took place earlier today at the UE Gym in the City of Manila.
With this victory, the Blue Eagles are guaranteed a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals as Bracket A’s second seed with a record of 5-1.
Kymani Ladi took Player of the Game honors after leading the way for the Blue and White with 22 points, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal.
Kicking off the opening canto, the Blue and White stood toe-to-toe with the Recto-based unit for the first five minutes. However, Ateneo then suffered in a scoring drought, allowing UE to go on a 6-0 run led by big man Precious Momowei, 5-12.
In response, the Katipunan-based squad responded with shots from rainbow country. Courtesy of Jared Bahay’s stellar playmaking abilities, two good looks by Michael Asoro and Matthew De Luna from beyond the arc became crucial conversions for the Ateneo, closing the canto with a manageable 14-18 deficit.
Fresh off a momentum-swinging first-quarter buzzer-beater, the Blue Eagles stormed into the succeeding frame clicking on the defensive end. Ladi continued to patrol the paint to help the Blue and White remain within striking distance, 17-20.
Despite the Red Warriors’ early foul trouble three minutes into the second frame, the Blue Eagles failed to capitalize as the team shot a worrisome seven of 15 clip from the line. As struggles continued for the Katipunan-based unit’s offense, a booming three by UE star John Abate extended the Red Warrior margin to eight, 28-20.
A second technical foul at the five-minute mark of the second quarter then saw Red Warrior ace Wello Lingolingo ejected, placing foreign student-athlete Momowei at the forefront of the UE attack. Utilizing his size against Ateneo’s big men, Momowei sank back-to-back layups to bring UE’s advantage to double digits, 34-21.
Looking to carry Ateneo back into contention, the duo of Ian Espinosa and Thirdy Ebdane converted much-needed baskets to bring the Blue Eagles to within 11 at halftime, 28-39.
A back-and-forth affair opened the third period as both teams traded baskets fresh off the break. Ladi led the way on Ateneo’s side, notably drilling a long-range bucket with three minutes left in the quarter to cut the UE lead to eight, 41-49.
Digging deep into his offensive bag, the youngster once again showed his offensive prowess with the rock, executing a great turnaround jumper to answer back a UE conversion, 43-51. The Ladi show continued after capping off the third with a free throw, allowing the Blue Eagles to slightly outscore the Red Warriors in the quarter by two and head into the fourth with a 45-54 deficit.
Eager to lead his team to a comeback, Ladi remained in control at the onset of the fourth. The standout went on a personal 5-0 run to cut the lead of the Red Warriors, 52-56.
As excitement echoed throughout the Ateneo bench, the rookie once again took the reins, draining back-to-back free throws to tie the game at 56-all. Showcasing their patented well-oiled offensive system, the Blue Eagles capped their 15-2 run with a basket from Divine Adili to give them their first lead of the match, 60-56.
Not to be outdone, UE’s Abate gave life to the Red Warriors, drilling a floater to make it a one-point game, 61-62. After a quick exchange of baskets, a well-timed cut by Ladi off a textbook find by Adili gave the Blue Eagles cushion, 66-63.
In one of the most tense moments of their preseason tourney, the Blue Eagles turned to Ladi to deliver the final touches in Ateneo’s resurgence. Coming off a screen, the Blue Eagle rose up to drill a top-of-the key three-point dagger, completing the comeback that secured the Blue Eagles’ fifth win of the preseason tilt, 69-63.
When asked about his fine performance, Ladi expressed how the Blue Eagles’ effort on the defensive end in the second half became key to their comeback. “For us, it was just being able to defend and get more stops. It was a slow start at the beginning, but we started to pick it up in the second half,” the rising star said.
After the hard-fought win, the Blue Eagles now await their opponent in the quarterfinals, which is set to commence on May 4.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (69): Ladi – 22, Espinosa – 10, Adili – 8, Tuano – 8, Bahay – 7, De Luna -4, Ebdane – 4, Asoro – 3, Espina – 2, Reyes – 1, Ong – 0, Edu – 0, Baruwa – 0
UE (63): Momowei – 22, Abate – 13, Lingolingo – 8, C. Cruz-Dumont – 7, Mulingtapang – 6, Fikes – 4, Cabero – 2, H. Cruz-Dumont – 1, Obusan – 0, Jimenez – 0, Spandonis – 0, Fong – 0, Datumalim – 0, Finney – 0, Go – 0, Malaga – 0
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UE: 14-18, 28-39, 45-54, 69-63
Bracket A Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Green Archers (4-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-1)
- SBU Red Lions (3-2)
- EAC Generals (2-3)
- UE Red Warriors (2-4)
- SCC Saints (1-3)
- PCU-D Dolphins (0-5)
